Funky Portal Relationships Required???

[Mirrock]

I am an entry level developer and would like some help with a road block I have hit in a soulition.

I need an explanation of how the portal and relationship setups would be for the following:

Tooling Database. (Check In and Out features)

Consists of three basic views:

Tooling List

User Form

Job Form

Tooling list shows all tools. User selects tools from this list.

Selections are added to users (active account) "cart" on the user form, with a field showing the job number the tool will be used on. (This part I have working)

What I can not get is I do not want the tools to be displayed on the job form, until the user confirms the tools in their "cart" on the user form. Then all tools used shall be displayed on the appropriate job form.

Keep in mind the tooling list will be like a monitor showing if the tool is only in a cart or on a job, while keeping the user and job recorded for each step.

Hopefully someone understands what I am looking for and can lend a hand.

Thank You

[Matthew F]

I assume that you are viewing 'tools' on the user form using a portal. You could add a "status" field to the tools table and add it to this tools portal in the form of a checkbox. Also create a global calculation on the jobs table called 'gOne' and set it to '1'. Create a relationship between tools and jobs using this relationship:

tools::job_id = jobs::job_id

AND

tools::checkbox = jobs::gOne

Now the tools will show up in a portal on the Jobs layout only if they have been 'checked in'.

[Mirrock]

I see, I see. I think your advice can help me out in some ways, maybe not exactly what I am looking for but it has sparked my thinking again.

Thank You

[bcooney]

Hi Mirrock and welcome to the forum.

Mfero's answer definitely is the way to filter the portal of tools on the Job form, but I have some biz rule questions.

In your design, the user selects Tools from a list:

"Tooling list shows all tools."

My question is, do you have more than one of each tool type? If so, are the tools barcoded, and the user is specifically requesting a barcoded tool? Or, are they requesting a type of tool--and the actual tool they receive is a separate signout process.

This matters, because you say you're showing all tools. If some tools have been signed out (there's only one of each type), then wouldn't you want to show only the tools that aren't in someone else's cart? Or, perhaps it's first-come, first-served, and you can request a tool, but until you confirm it, someone else can also request it. Therefore, you want to show in your tool shopping list, just the tools that aren't confirmed.

I picture a User form and a portal of available tools (however you define that). The user clicks a tool and it moves into their "shopping cart" portal. So, this brings up another question. Are all the tools in their cart for one job or can they separately assign a job to each tool in their cart?

Hope this helps,

Barbara